There’s been a record number of conflicts with bears so far this year, says conservation officer Aaron Koss-Young.

He and other Environment Yukon staff held a briefing Tuesday to provide a summary of how many bears had to be killed and relocated in a year when wild berry production was poor in southwest Yukon.

They emphasized there is still a chance some bears may not have started to hibernate for one reason or another and could still be foraging for food to build up their energy reserves before the deep sleep.

Koss-Young said it’s important even at this time of year to remain bear-aware if you’re out and about on the trails or getting a Christmas tree.

Carrying bear spray is still a wise choice, and it should be kept warm, perhaps inside your coat, he said.

The conservation officer said it’s still important to manage material that may attract bears, such as garbage, dog food and bird seed.

There were 267 incidents reported this year, up 30 per cent from the 206 incidents reported last year, according to the numbers presented.

Koss-Young said incidents can vary from a bear simply walking through the backyard to the animals getting into attractants and becoming habituated.

Conservation officers had to kill 33 bears this year, and 21 were killed by others in defence of life and property.

Another 58 bears – mostly sows and cubs – had to be relocated, two thirds of which were relocated out of Whitehorse.

The conservation officer said managing garbage, fruit trees, dog food, bird feeders and the list of many other attractants that can draw in bears is still the best way to keep the bruins healthy and communities safe.

He recalled one case where the property owner was storing used vegetable oil in a barrel to use as a bio-fuel.

When he got there, the bear had figured out how to turn on the tap, and it was just sitting there drinking up the vegetable oil.

Koss-Young said in years like this, when there’s been a poor berry crop, bears will travel.

With a nose 2,000 times more sensitive to smell than a dog’s nose, they’ll find food.

By managing attractants, residents can go a long way in reducing the number of human-bear conflicts, he said.

Electric fencing specifically designed to keep bears away is available on the market for a reasonable price, he pointed out.

Chicken coops, for instance, should have electric fencing around them, Koss-Young suggested.

The conservation officer said residents who have fruit trees in their yards, such as choke cherry trees, could place an electric fence around the tree or establish a routine of picking the berries or making them available to the neighbours.

In one case this past summer, a black bear sow which has been living in the Grey Mountain area for several years had three cubs last spring. They eventually made their way to a choke cherry tree in Riverdale, he explained.

The four bears were first relocated 100 kilometres away by truck. They returned 10 days later, as relocated bears often do.

They were then relocated again by helicopter to an area 100 kilometres away.

Officers observed how the sow and two of the cubs took to a nearby berry patch upon their release, but the third cub took off.

At just seven or eight months old, it showed up at the same choke cherry tree in Riverdale five days later, having crossed two major rivers and a chain of mountains.

It was relocated for a third time but again returned. It had to be killed.

Relocation, said Koss-Young, is not always the solution, as it can pose safety concerns for both the bears and conservation officers involved.

Managing attractants is the best way to reduce conflicts, he insisted.

Koss-Young said residents should clean up around their bird feeders in the spring after the snow melts.

If you ever come across a bear feeding on bird seeds that fell to the ground over the winter, the bear is not going to move, he said.

Koss-Young mentioned how Environment Yukon continues to work with the local WildWise organization and the City of Whitehorse and other communities to explore options to make garbage containers more bear-proof.

The department has partnered with the Kwanlin Dün First Nation, the Ta’an Kwäch’an Council and the Selkirk First Nation to run a pilot project using bear-proof garbage bins from Ontario in their communities, he pointed out.

As the Yukon’s population grows, the officer suggested, so does the importance of managing what attracts bears. With more people, there are more houses, more garbage, more fruit trees, more bird feeders, more chicken coops, more everything that attracts bears, he said.

Records back to 2010 show an average of 43 bears killed in the Yukon every year because of conflict, most of them black bears.

The 65 killed last year was the highest on record, while the 23 shot in 2016 was the lowest in nine years.

Department statistics show about a third, or 241 conflicts from 2012 through 2017 were because of garbage while human food – meat hanging, outside smokers and such – was the next-highest, at 151 incidents.

Koss-Young said it’s important that all bear incidents be reported to the department, no matter how insignificant they may seem, so staff can keep track of them.